


A Tale from the Past

by Shadadukal



Category: Sanctuary (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-14
Updated: 2011-04-14
Packaged: 2017-10-18 02:07:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/183799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadadukal/pseuds/Shadadukal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Declan finds a mysterious notebook in the library, detailing one of the Five's adventures in a most curious manner.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Tale from the Past

**Author's Note:**

  * For [grav_ity](https://archiveofourown.org/users/grav_ity/gifts).
  * Inspired by [An Agony in Eight Fits](https://archiveofourown.org/works/171241) by [grav_ity](https://archiveofourown.org/users/grav_ity/pseuds/grav_ity). 



> Many thanks to Oboetheres for the beta!

Declan crouched down to pick up the paper that had slipped from the book he had in hand. Just before he got up again, he noticed a slim leather notebook stuck between a heavy book and the side of the shelf, in such a way you couldn't notice it if you were standing. He stuck the paper back into the book, extracted the mysterious notebook from its hiding place, and then set aside the book he had come to the library for.

Undoing the leather cord keeping the notebook closed, he opened it as he walked to the armchair near the fire, boggling at the title written neatly on the first page.

  
**  
_The Hunting of the Snark: How It Really Happened_   
**

_  
**By Nikola Tesla**   
_

Declan knew of Lewis Carroll's poem of course. English classes long ago had seen to that. What was this about though?

The first paragraph revealed that the famous author had been inspired by a tale the Five had told him, but Tesla complained the man had departed from it greatly. Declan had met the admittedly brilliant scientist a few weeks previously as the vampire had helped in the defence of the London Sanctuary. He wondered why the man would bother writing up his version of the events, but he determined to investigate which abnormal the snark actually was.

 _Without further ado, I give you, with an infinite humour (for I am a much funnier man than Carroll), the impossible (impossible things have a definite tendency to become possible around Helen Magnus) voyage of an ~~improbable~~ amazing crew to find an inconceivable (only to someone who doesn’t know about abnormals) creature._

Declan snorted, but nodded at Tesla's assessment of Magnus.

 _On that day, we, the Five, all went on a creature hunt together. I had work to do, but I’m enjoying having friends so I decided to accompany them. I don’t remember what Helen told us we were hunting, maybe she wasn’t quite sure herself, or I simply wasn’t listening._

In all likelihood, Tesla had been distracted by Magnus, Declan thought. He hardly could blame him.

 _The abnormal was very hard to catch and we pursued it all day before we were able to capture it. Shortly after we set sail back towards London, the abnormal almost got loose as it thrashed violently. I think it is probably then that it knocked Nigel off the boat._

 _Nigel was naked at the time, having turned invisible to track the creature. What I didn’t realize then was that he still was invisible._

 _I think I should mention at this point that I’ve always been able to see Nigel when he becomes invisible. I didn’t tell Helen, John or James because I figured it wasn’t any of their business. I suppose I should have told Nigel but I thought maybe he wouldn't appreciate the fact that I can see him naked every time he turns invisible. A brief flash as he takes his clothes off and before he puts his clothes back on – what I imagine the others see – is something different. Of course, I don’t actually stare at him. Had I always looked perfectly at where Nigel was, James would have figured it out a long time ago. Now that I think about it, that’s probably why he’s still huffing. It’s less about the fact that I didn’t tell anybody, but more about the fact that he didn’t notice what was going on._

Yes, James hadn't ever liked being kept outside the loop, had hated his power of observation failing him. Not without reason Declan knew. He wondered if that journal had been intended for James. He clearly hadn't found it, or it wouldn't have been in the library still.

 _So yes, Nigel got thrown overboard, something we only realized once the creature was safely secured again. John and James lighted the black waters around the boat and I spotted Nigel immediately. He was lying face down in the water. At the time, I didn’t even think that the others couldn’t see him. I just dived to help my friend._

 _Even without my vampiric strength, I would be a strong swimmer as I swim twenty-seven laps a day. I still continue to do so, even after the changes brought on by the injection of the Source Blood serum. Mens sana in corpore sano, after all. I can swim faster now that I’ve become part vampire though. This was most important that day as Nigel had drifted quite away from the boat._

Someone, definitely not Declan, should tell Tesla he wasn't good at telling stories. It felt half like reading a story, half like poking your nose in someone's private journal.

 _I got to him in no time and made sure his head was out of the water before dragging him to shore, holding on to him tightly._

 _Once on the morass, I did manage to have him regain consciousness. Sat on the rocks, we waited for the others, Nigel telling me he had been invisible. "You can see me, can't you?" he asked. He wasn’t upset that I was able to see him when he used his ability. Perhaps because this allowed me to save his life that day, although I really don’t think he minds. He’s been interacting with me when he’s invisible now, a look, a hand signal. Sometimes it’s hard not to laugh at what he mouths and at the gestures and the grimaces he makes. People would probably think me mad if I were to start laughing at thin air._

People had thought him mad regardless. Tesla's rambles about this adventure were quite revealing about the Five. James and Magnus's interactions had always been fascinating to watch. He couldn't even begin to understand what was between Magnus and Druitt, or how Tesla fitted into it. And now he had proof that the only one of them he hadn't met was perfectly fine walking around naked in front of the inventor. Insane the whole lot of them – laughing at thin air or not – but amazingly brilliant.

 _I would have preferred that no one ever found out that I can see Nigel even when he’s invisible. Well, except Nigel. He’s really taking it well, as I've said, and his opinion should be the only one that matters in this affair. Helen has taken it in stride whereas James is still angry. Johnny doesn’t seem to have any opinion on the matter. He seems preoccupied lately for some reason I cannot fathom. Why would any man be troubled when they’re engaged to Helen Magnus? Well, actually, I can see how some might, perhaps even most. But it’s strange coming from John._

Declan's blood chilled, those innocent sentences making it clear, in retrospect, when these events had taken place. It probably explained why James was upset at not noticing something. There were other far more important things, haunting things, he hadn't been noticing at the time.

 _Once James, Helen and John made their way to Nigel and me, Helen instantly busied herself making sure Nigel was in one piece. Seeing as he was naked, it should have been obvious._

 _James was seething though, Johnny looking as if he was settling down to enjoy a good show. It was the first time I ever saw James this angry. At first, I ignored him, paying more attention to the care Helen was providing Nigel. But he forced me into a ~~discussion~~ row by grabbing my shoulder and turning me around. A very dangerous thing to do as my control can still be shaky at times, even with the new medication. (Something I haven't told any of the others as I can tell they're still scared of and concerned about my vampire side, except Helen, who would probably happily keep me in her basement if I became unfit for society.)_

Declan boggled at that. How could the man have kept such a dangerous secret from his friends? Obviously, he had acquired better control. Or he never had and had lied to them about not feeding on humans. Why write it down? Was it some way of coming clean? Or was the whole thing a huge joke? Declan shook his head and kept on reading. Maybe that would provide some answer.

 _Anyway, my argument with James went something like this:_

 _James: You can see Nigel! Why the hell didn't you tell us before?  
Me: I didn't think it was any of your business.  
James: How could you hide this from us? Something very bad could have happened!  
Me: How? Whether you knew about my ability to see Nigel when he's invisible wouldn't make a difference. I was able to help him. I don't understand why you're so upset, James.  
James: There shouldn't be any secrets between us!  
Me: We didn't agree to tell each other's life stories down to the last detail.  
James: That's not what I meant! This is a result of an experiment we conducted as a group and you should have told us everything you could do! What else have you hidden from us?  
Nigel: James, it's fine. I don't have problems with Nikola being able to see me. There's no blame to assign or any suspicion to have.  
Me: Especially when nothing is my fault.  
Helen: Nikola, is there anything else you can do? That you've kept for yourself?  
Me: No! I swear I'm not hiding anything else.  
Helen: Let's just go home then, so we can secure the abnormal for sure and so Nigel can get warmer._

 _But James glared daggers at me the whole trip back and over the next few days as if I had committed a great injustice._

 _And so the snark now lives in London. It is neither the most exciting creature housed here, nor the most boring. However, it's really ugly. This damn creature also has to be credited for creating tension in our group of friends. I maintain that I am not to blame for anything, especially as Nigel now amuses himself with the fact that I can see him. So James really has no cause to pout._

 _As you can see, this is a far more interesting tale than the one Lewis Carroll came up with. His ignoring our genius clearly shows that this man is as mad as a hatter._

Declan looked up from the notebook, shaking his head. So much for answers. But Tesla had still lied to his friends' faces about not hiding anything else, an information Declan decided to store away in the back of his mind.

Declan stood up to go to his office, still unsure what to think about it all, but knowing that the notebook did not belong here. At all. And was clearly none of his business. So he would send it to Magnus.


End file.
